Meeting You
by Reba-Brockfan
Summary: Carly Anderson's world gets turned upside down when handsome Nick Campbell moves in next door and their daughters scheme to bring them together. Will Carly be able to resist falling for Nick? A Joanna Garcia/Steve Howey fanfic. The rest of the Reba cast are included as characters in this story.
1. Chapter 1

Meeting You

Chapter 1

October 16, 1999-Kankakee Valley, Indiana-Early morning

Carly Anderson woke up to a pounding headache. She was lying in a strange bed, wondering where she was. Cool cotton slid across her skin along her body. She realized that she didn't have a stitch of clothing on. She put her hand to her head, remembering the party and the drinking game that she'd been challenged to foolishly participate in. Everything else faded to black after that. Suddenly, there was movement beside her, she wasn't alone.

She rubbed her fists over her eyes several times. Nope, not a dream. The guy's back was turned away from her. Carly tried to think of who it could be. She wasn't dating anyone at the moment. She and Levi broke up two months ago just before she went to college. Besides, this guy had dark brown hair, and Levi had light brown hair. Looking at Levi didn't give her the same rush of attraction that she felt as she examined this man's physique. She didn't remember being with any specific guy the night before, but obviously she was. This was going to earn her such a reputation, if anyone found out.

She decided to sneak out early since it was just before the crack of dawn, allowing her to avoid the public walk of shame out of Harrison Hall. The last thing she wanted was to be the talk of Northwest Indiana State University. She preferred invisibility, not infamy. She slid carefully out of bed, so she wouldn't disturb the man beside her. She didn't want the awkward morning-after talk. She knew the score, not that she'd ever done anything like this before. She'd only been with one other man, Levi. Her cheeks filled with hot shame. She grabbed her clothes, rushed to dress, and got out of there faster than a runaway train. She hoped to put the whole unfortunate incident behind her.

September 7, 2012-Brook, Indiana-Morning

Carly ran to get her satchel and coffee. "Bella, we're going to be late. I can't be late for work today. If you hurry, I'll buy you breakfast from McDonald's." No response was heard. Every morning was a struggle between mother and daughter lately. Bella had just started seventh grade at South Newton Junior/Senior High School, where Carly taught English.

Suddenly, Bella's dark blonde hair and pink sparkled backpack whizzed back her mom on the stairs. Bella took a deep breath before calling out. "I'm ready. I thought that you were in a hurry."

Carly glared teasingly at Bella. "I am. I'm just a lot slower than you are. Never mind, let's go."

A moving truck pulled up in front of the house next door. A steel metallic Dodge Durango SUV pulled into the driveway behind it. Carly watched as a tall muscular man got out of the driver's seat. He was accompanied by a cheerful girl who looked to be about Bella's age. Carly stood there, watching his movements. She liked how the sun reflected off his chestnut locks.

"Earth to Mom! I thought you were in a hurry. I'm hungry. You promised me breakfast," Bella said, snapping Carly's attention back to her daughter.

"I will. It's just nice to see new neighbors. It's been awhile since anyone has moved into the neighborhood. I think we've got a couple of minutes to introduce ourselves to our new neighbors."

The impatient preteen followed her mother across the yard to the driveway next door.

Carly stuck her hand out to greet the man. "Hi, I'm Caroline Anderson. This is my daughter, Isabella. We live next door. I just wanted to stop by and say welcome to the neighborhood."

The man took her hand, shook it, and flashed her a warm smile. "I'm Nicholas Campbell, and this bundle of energy is my daughter, Natalie. We just moved here from Kansas City."

Isabella didn't say anything to Natalie. She just kept her eyes on her cell phone. "Mom, aren't you gonna be late?"

Carly looked over at her daughter disapprovingly before turning back to Nicholas. "I'm sorry. You know how kids are. Unfortunately, she's right and I'm really running late. It was nice to meet both of you. I hope that we see each other again soon." She flashed her daughter a serious glare before running back to their own driveway.

Carly was just getting her classroom set up for her first class of the day. As much as she looked forward to working with her students, there was one student who knew exactly how to get under her skin, her daughter, Bella. Carly loved the small town life and the small school district that was established for the communities of Brook and Kentland. The drawback was that she was the only English teacher for grades seven through nine and eleven. This meant that she had Bella as a student in her classroom. This was a situation that many teachers in the school were familiar with. Bella was not transitioning to junior high well. She had become sullen and her grades had gone down from last year.

Carly took a deep breath and walked over to the doorway to greet the students as they entered the classroom. She smiled, handed out bell work, and gave some students a high five. Bella entered the classroom silently and took her seat. Carly resolved to treat Bella as just as student and not a daughter when they were in the classroom. While the students worked on the morning assignment, Carly took attendance. The classroom door opened. The guidance counselor walked in with a short girl with brown hair who was looking down.

The guidance counselor directed the girl to Carly. "Mrs. Walker, we have a new student. This is Natalie Campbell. She just transferred here from Missouri."

Carly smiled at the girl, immediately recognizing her from earlier that morning. She turned to face the guidance counselor. "It's Miss Anderson. I was Mrs. Walker last year before my divorce."

The guidance counselor didn't respond to the correction, but instead resumed discussing the new student. "We need to pick someone to help Natalie get acclimated to her new environment, help guide her through her first few days here. I think Isabella would be perfect for the job. What do you think?"

Carly pondered the idea for a moment. Bella didn't have many friends. This might be a good way for Bella to establish a new friendship. "I think that would be a great idea." She addressed Natalie. "Natalie, take a seat in the desk next to Isabella with her group."

Natalie nodded and silently walked over to the empty desk. Bella was equally silent. Carly started her lesson for the day. It was a review on the parts of speech with a Schoolhouse Rock: Grammar Rock video. Students were assigned partners to create a song or poem on each of the four main parts of speech. She designated Bella to be partnered with Natalie. She hoped that it would help thaw Bella's icy attitude.

Bella spent most of the day leading Natalie around the school, using as few words as possible. She resented her mom for forcing her to do any partnered or group work at all. Now, she was stuck with the new girl all day long at school and later at home for homework.

Natalie broke the silence during lunch while they were eating at the lunch table. "Your mom seems really nice. Have you really lived here all your life?"

Bella nodded. "My dad says that my mom isn't as nice as she seems."

"My dad says that about my mom, too. My parents got divorced last year. My mom left us. Divorce really sucks." Natalie took a bite out of her cheeseburger.

Bella's voice got quiet. "Yeah, it does. My dad is a really great guy. He really loves my mom, but she won't budge. They argue a lot, toss insults at each other. It's horrible. I just got back from spending the summer with my dad. He lives in Liberty. He helps my grandpa run the family farm. It's so cool. I get to swim in the creek and riding horses a lot. It sucked to have to come back here for school." She pushed the vegetables around on her tray with her fork.

"Yeah, it wasn't easy to move here from Missouri either. I had to leave my friends and move two states away because my dad wanted some distance between us and my mom. He's from around here, so he's really happy to be here. It's just hard to be the new kid. I wanted to make friends, but you barely even talked to me all day."

"It's not you. I'm just mad about coming back here. My mom has custody of me and she won't let me stay with my dad. I have lots of friends over there. It's so much fun. My dad lives near the state line. He took me to Kings Island six times over the summer. Every Thursday, everyone rides in a school bus over to the skating rink in Connersville. I don't get to do stuff like that here." Bella's eyes lit up with excitement as she talked. She put a spoon full of chocolate pudding in her mouth, showing the first signs of enthusiasm all day.

Bella was much more talkative with Natalie as the day progressed. They walked home from the bus stop together.

Bella cringed at the thought of going home to an empty house. "Do you want to come in with me? No one's home. We can do whatever we want."

Natalie shook her head, offering an alternative. "Let's go back to my house. My dad is baking chocolate chip cookies for me. We can eat and do homework there. My dad is really cool."

The girls entered the house to the smell of fresh baked cookies and chocolate wafting in the air. Nick greeted his daughter with a big smile and hug as she entered the door. It made Bella miss her father even more, but she smiled at Natalie's father anyway. Nick served the girls plates of warm cookies and tall glasses of fresh, cold milk for a snack. Afterwards, the girls ran up to Natalie's new bedroom. Natalie gasped in shock at how much her father had accomplished while she was at school. She spotted her bed already set up and made with clean sheets. Her favorite blanket was on the top. She squealed with delight and threw herself on her bed.

Natalie told Bella about her father's rule of doing homework first after school. The two got right to work on the assignment. They talked and laughed as they thought up lyrics to songs about nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Bella helped Natalie go through the boxes in her room to put things away after the homework was finished.

Carly arrived home around six o'clock. The house echoed with the sounds of silence. Carly called out her daughter's name a few times and looked around the house before deciding to check next door to see if Bella was there doing her assignment with Natalie. She walked next door, still fuming about Bella's lack of communication. She knocked on the door, and Nick answered.

"Is my daughter here?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah, she's been here with Natalie for the past couple of hours. We were about to sit down to dinner." He opened the door wider for Carly to step in.

She took a couple of steps into the entryway. "Let me get Bella and get out of your way. I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner."

"Nonsense, I made plenty of food. Bella was going to eat with us. Why don't you both stay for dinner?"

"I don't know, Mr. Campbell. I wouldn't want to impose."

"Call me Nick. It's not an imposition. I cook enough for leftovers tomorrow night. You'll be doing Nat a favor. She hates leftovers." Nick smiled at her warmly.

"Sure, why not." Carly followed Nick through the house to the dining room. She found both of the girls already seated at the table. She sat down while Nick carried the bowls of spaghetti, salad, and crescent rolls to the table.

"Miss Anderson is my language arts teacher." Natalie announced in between bites of salad.

"Really? Is that so?" Nick responded, looking at Carly. He turned his attention back to his daughter. "How do you like your new school so far?"

"It's okay. Miss Anderson and Bella are really nice. Bella spent the day showing me around. Miss Anderson made class really fun today." Natalie bit into her spaghetti eagerly.

"I showed a Schoolhouse Rock video in class. Students really like it. We covered the four main parts of speech. The kids were assigned to create a poem or song for each one," Carly explained.

"Interesting. Any chance I can get you girls to share yours with me tonight before Miss Anderson grades it tomorrow?" he asked Bella.

"Okay, but you don't have to call my mom Miss Anderson, except at school."

"Well, Caroline, how's the spaghetti?" Nick asked.

"It's good. I haven't sat down to a meal cooked by someone else in a long time. I really appreciate this. How are you settling in so far?"

"I did what I could today. The girls worked on Nat's room after school. I hope to be completely unpacked and moved in by this weekend."

Carly leaned her chin into her hand casually. "I like what you've done so far. So, what brings you to our little town?"

"I'm reopening the thrift store downtown. I used to live nearby. I grew up in Kentland."

"I went to South Newton Junior/Senior High School, class of 1999."

He smiled at her. "We have that in common. I was in the class of 1998."

"It's amazing that we never saw each other before. It's a pretty small school."

"I was in the drama club and the science club. I remember seeing you around school, but our paths didn't cross much since I was a grade ahead. You were always with that basketball player, Levi. I can't remember his last name."

"It's Walker. I ended up marrying him about five years after graduation."

Bella cut in. "My mom didn't marry my dad until I was four."

"I'm a very cautious person. My parents died in a car accident when I was twenty-one. Bella was two at the time. My younger sister, Ivy, was thirteen. She moved in and I took care of both of them. I worked, went to college, and took care of two kids. I didn't have a lot of time for a relationship. As long as I'm in the hot seat, how about you? How did you meet and marry Natalie's mom?"

"We met during my junior year of college. Things happened very fast, and before we knew it, we were married and Natalie was on the way. We got divorced last year. She left and gave me full custody of Nat. We haven't heard from her in a while. I moved back here for a fresh start."

Carly's voice got quiet. "Me, too. My divorce was finalized last year. Levi has some visitation. Bella just got back from spending the summer with her dad."

Nick observed the change in Carly's demeanor after talking about her ex. "How about some ice cream after dinner?"

Carly was getting ready to leave with Bella. Bella grabbed her backpack from Natalie's room. Carly and Nick stood in the entryway near the front door.

"How about I walk you back to your house?" Nick suggested.

Carly chuckled. "It's just next door. I live a few feet away."

"I'm trying to be a gentleman, Caroline. It was a nice evening. It was nice getting to know you and your daughter."

"Sure, why not? I'm just not used to having a nice guy around."

He smiled at her. "You've been around the wrong types of guys then."

"Probably."

Natalie and Bella rushed out the door ahead of them. The walk to Carly's house was quiet. Bella rushed into the house with Natalie so she could show Natalie her bedroom. Nick and Carly paused just outside the front door.

She opened the door and turned to face him. "Thanks for dinner. I had a nice time tonight. We should do this again sometime. The girls seem to be getting along great. I'll cook next time."

He lifted an eyebrow in mild surprise. "That'll be great. I have a feeling that we'll be spending a lot more time together since the girls are friends now. Thanks for the invitation. I'll take you up on that soon. Send Nat home in a few minutes, okay? Good night, Caroline." He lifted her hand and gently kissed it. He turned to talk away.

Carly shivered a little. "Hey, Nick?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"You can call me Carly."

"Goodnight, Carly."

MEETING YOU

Copyright © 2012 by Laurie Mills

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author, Laurie Mills.

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.


	2. Meet the cast of characters

**Meet the cast of characters in Meeting You**

Joanna Garcia-Swisher as Caroline (Carly) Anderson

Steve Howey as Nicholas (Nick) Campbell

Scarlett Pomers as Ivy Anderson, Carly's sister

Melissa Peterman as Jennifer Grant, Carly's best friend

Reba McEntire as Annie Walker, Carly's former mother-in-law

Christopher Rich as Russ Walker, Carly's former father-in-law

Mitch Holleman as Mitch Woods, potential love interest for Bella

Sarah Shahi as Eleanor (Ellie) James, Nick's ex-wife

Bradley Cooper as Levi Walker, Carly's ex-husband

Elle Fanning as Isabella (Bella) Anderson-Walker

Rachel Covey as Natalie Campbell

_If anyone has any suggestions on my stories, then I'd love to hear them! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit._

**I need your input about my updates. Which stories do you want to see updated first? Let me know which one(s) happen to be your favorite.**

Thanks to all my readers. I appreciate your support so much!


	3. Chapter 2

Meeting You

Chapter 2

September 21, 2012-Brook, Indiana-Afternoon

Carly sat at her desk during her plan time. She was supposed to be grading papers, but found herself thinking about Nick instead. Daydreaming was more like it. It had been two weeks since Nick moved in next door. Each night after work, she found herself having dinner with Nick and the girls at Nick's place. It had become a habit, disturbing her how comfortable she was with him. Her cell phone started buzzing. Carly picked up her purse under her desk and fished it out of the front pocket. She looked at the screen and giggled.

Speak of the devil, it was Nick. His message read, "Are you busy?"

Carly quickly dialed the familiar number.

Nick's warm tone filled her ears. "Hello, beautiful. I have a favor to ask."

"Okay, shoot." She hoped her voice sounded casual enough.

"I'm finishing up most of the work on the store this weekend. Would you mind taking care of Nat this weekend?"

Carly hesitated before answering. "It's Bella's weekend with my ex-husband. I'd be glad to help out, but Natalie might be bored without Bella around."

"That's okay. Nat loves hanging out with you. It'll give her a chance to do girl stuff. She doesn't get a lot of time to do that since her mother left."

Carly beamed at the thought that Natalie truly liked her, but Nick wasn't playing fair by pulling the motherless child card. It tugged her at heartstrings, and he knew it.

"I like handing out with her, too. Having Nat around has been so great for Bella." She thought for a minute before continuing. "I could make dinner on Saturday night. I still owe you a dinner. You've been making dinner for everyone for so long now. It's the least I could do."

He stammered for a moment. "Uh...uh, sure. I'd like that, dinner for you, me, and Nat."

Carly cleared her throat and spoke. "It's okay if you don't want to. I understand."

"No, no, I think we got some wires crossed here. You caught me by surprise. It's not often that I get an offer like that from someone like you. We've got something... nice going here. I'm glad that Nat and I moved here and met the two of you."

Carly was glad that he couldn't see her blush. "Bella and I are lucky to know you, too. I'm glad that we agree."

Nick chuckled nervously. "Yeah, so I'll see you tonight?"

Carly smiled. "Absolutely. So, what's on the menu tonight?"

"What's your favorite meal?"

"Pork chops with mashed potatoes, salad, and those crescent rolls you make."

"As you wish."

Carly laughed softly. "Are you serious? I love that movie."

"How about we watch it with our girls after dinner?"

"It's a date. I mean...you know...ugh."

"Carly?"

"Yeah?"

"It's okay. I know what you mean."

"I'll make your favorite dinner on Saturday."

"It's a date."

Carly sighed. "Cute, Nick, real cute. Go ahead. Make fun of me. I'm hanging up now."

"But Carly..." He was cut off by the sounds of a click and telephone dial tone.

Natalie and Isabella rushed through the front door like a herd of buffalo.

"Hi, girls, how was school?"

"Great!" they replied simultaneously. They turned to each other. "Jinx. You owe me a soda." The two girls erupted in a fit of giggles.

The girls walked into Nick's kitchen for the usual after-school snack. Chocolate chip cookies and milk became the norm since that first day. Bella noticed Nick unpacking and putting away groceries. Fresh pork chops were placed in the refrigerator. Shake 'n Bake seasoning mix was on the counter. Leafy green lettuce, a fresh new bottle of ranch dressing, a small basket of mushrooms, hard boiled eggs, and chopped ham were set onto the refrigerator shelves. Bella knew something was up, especially when Nick put a bag of frozen mashed potatoes in the freezer.

She grinned. "You're making my mom's favorite meal, aren't you?"

He returned the smile, putting his hands up in mock defense. "Guilty as charged. I thought that your mom might like it." He turned his attention to Natalie. "Listen, kiddo, I have a lot to do to get the store ready to open. You're going to spend the weekend with Carly. She's making us a special dinner on Saturday night. How does that sound?"

Bella cut in. "But I'm at my dad's this weekend!"

"I know. The timing stinks, but I need to do this. Your mom will give Nat some girl time. With Nat's mom gone, she doesn't get much of that with a mom." He hugged Bella and spoke to her soothingly.

Natalie was very quiet during the conversation.

Bella took her by the arm. She turned back to Nick. "We have a project to work on. Can we go back to my house for a little bit to go get some stuff?"

"Sure. Don't be too long. If you get all your homework done, I'll let you help with the cooking." He kissed his daughter on the forehead.

Bella pulled Natalie away. She fumbled with her keys to get inside. Once she unlocked the door, she locked it behind them. Bella fled upstairs to her room with Natalie at her heels. Bella was breathing hard as she plopped down on the floor next to her bed.

"What was so urgent that you rushed here like your room was on fire?"

"Shut the door in case my mom comes home early."

Natalie shut the door quickly. "Geez, what's up with you?"

Bella's eyes lit up with excitement. Her mouth curved into a soft smile. "I've got the most amazing idea, well, a plan."

Natalie sat down on the floor next to Bella, listening attentively. "Okay, what's this amazing plan?"

"How about I get my dad to agree to let you come with us for the weekend?"

"Okay, but my dad made plans with your mom."

"Exactly!"

"What?"

Bella bounced excitedly. "Don't you get it? Your dad is going out of his way to make my mom's favorite meal. You've only been here for two weeks, and your dad asked my mom to take care of you for the weekend. It's like a mother-daughter thing, only she's not your mother."

Natalie's eyes scanned Bella's face before reacting. "If it bothers you, I can tell my dad that I want to stay home this weekend."

Bella raised her hand up. "No! Don't you dare! Let me explain some more. My mom and I eat dinner at your house every weeknight. Your dad is taking care of me at your house after school. This happened without even a conversation. They fell into this routine naturally. They like each other, Nat. They like like each other."

Natalie's eyebrows drew together. "Do you think so?"

"Yeah, I do. All we need to do is push things along. They'll fall in love, get married, and we'll be sisters." Bella's voice rose with eagerness. She could hardly stay seated, looking as if she would leap up at any minute.

"It's a nice plan, but what if they don't fall in love? We can't make them fall in love? We can't make them fall in love."

"Haven't you been listening? They've already started without us." Bella changed her sharp tone, hugging Natalie. Natalie looked like a whipped puppy. "All we need to do is give them a little push. We're just helping them. And I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I think that it would be awesome to be sisters. Can you imagine living in a house like a real family with two parents who love each other? I don't know about you, but I didn't see that growing up. My mom and dad just went through the motions, and then finally fought like World War III."

Natalie nodded in agreement with tears in her eyes. "It was worse with my parents. They hate each other. I don't have any good memories of them together at all."

Bella's eyes teared up as tears ran down Natalie's cheeks. She put her hand gently on Natalie's arm. "That's all the more reason to help my mom and your dad find love. They deserve some happiness, and so do we."

Natalie wiped her eyes with a tissue from Bella's dresser. "Okay, so what's the first step of your plan?"

Bella grinned. She felt excitement building up again. It was like electricity flowing through her whole body. _This had to work. It just had to. _"I'm gonna call my dad. We won't say anything about you coming with me to my dad's until Friday night. I'll call my aunt Ivy to help us." She paused for a minute to think. "We are not going to do anything that will make my mom cancel that special dinner on Saturday night. We're gonna make sure that the dinner is perfect and romantic. Deal?" Bella held out her hand, and Natalie shook it with a matching grin.

"Deal," she confirmed.

Bella picked up the cordless phone off her bedside table and dialed her father's number. "Hi, dad! How are you doing?" Bella began.

"Great, kiddo. How's school? Your mom said that you've had a hard time adjusting to junior high."

"Things are better now. Remember that I told you about Natalie. She's my best friend now. I'm calling to ask if she can come with us this weekend. Please, Daddy!" Bella converted her voice from mature to her younger, sugary sweet self.

It was hard for Levi to resist his daughter when she did that. "I don't know, Princess. I was hoping to get some time for just you and me. Grandma and Grandpa are dying to spend time with you, too."

"But Daddy, I told Natalie all about how great the farm is! Please! I'll wear a dress to church on Sunday and sing with the choir. I know how much Grandma likes that."

"Okay, you talked me into it."

"Yes!" Bella leaped up and started doing her happy dance. Natalie jumped up to try the dance, too. Both girls giggling with delight.

"Hey, kiddo, I'm still on the phone," Levi called out through the receiver.

"Sorry, Dad, I got carried away," Bella said sheepishly.

"Make sure that everything is cleared through your mom and Natalie's parents before I come on Friday. I'll pick both of you up as long as your mom gives me the okay."

"She will. I love you and I really miss you."

"Princess, you are so loved. Grandma, Grandpa, and I have missed you so much! We can't wait to see you."

"Me, too, Dad. I missed you as soon as I got back home. We're going to have so much fun and I promise to stay out of trouble."

"Good to hear. Bye, kiddo."

"Bye."

Bella took out two pieces of paper and the two girls began to brainstorm more ideas for the plan.

The girls helped Nick set the table and bring the food out from the kitchen when Carly arrived after work.

She hugged Bella and greeted both Natalie and Nick before collapsing into a chair. "It's been a long day. I graded almost eighty vocabulary tests and almost sixty percent of the students failed. I have to reteach the unit all over again."

Nick walked over to Carly's chair and began rubbing her shoulders. "You're home now, so why don't you relax and leave your cares and concerns at the door. Enjoy a nice home-cooked meal."

Nick's strong fingers kneaded through the tension in her shoulder. Carly began to relax. A feeling of calm washed over her.

"Better?" He leaned over to speak softly in her ear.

"Mmm, hmm." The response escaped her lips before she could stop it. His husky tone had the opposite effect. She tensed up with a growing sexual awareness his manly scent, inviting voice, smooth skin, and purposeful strength. She pulled away from him. "I'm much better. All I need now is some food. I'm starving."

She smiled sweetly at him so he wouldn't think that she was rejecting him. If he had any reaction to her pulling away, he didn't show it. They were too distracted to notice Bella and Natalie's reaction. The girls eyed them with keen interest. Bella winked at Natalie when she saw her mother responding to Nick's touch. Natalie beamed nodding at Bella. Nick filled Carly's plate. She flashed him a grateful smile. The four of them sat down to dinner and conversation. It had been the closest thing to a normal family that they had for a long time.

Carly's cell phone started to ring. "I'm sorry. I have to take this." She answered the call quickly after glancing at the caller i.d. "Hello?"

"Hey, I came by to have dinner with you guys, but you're not home. Where are you? Your car is in the driveway."

"Bella and I are next door having dinner with the neighbors."

"What about me? I haven't seen you in so long."

Carly pulled her hand away from her ear, covering the mouthpiece. She looked at Nick pointedly. "My sister came by to have dinner with Bella and me. Can I invite her over here to eat with us? Is there enough food?"

Bella's eyes lit up with excitement. "Aunt Ivy is here? Please let her come over, Nick. She's the coolest!"

"Hey, what about me?"

"You're my mom. Aunt Ivy is fun and her life is just more exciting."

Carly rolled her eyes. "She flutters around from job to job, hoping to find herself."

"Hey, I heard that. The fact is that you're a mom and that's uncool by definition," Ivy blasted from the phone.

Nick covered Carly's hand with his. "She's your family so she's more than welcomed."

Carly sighed before talking to Ivy again. "Come on over. You can meet Nick and his daughter."

"Be there in less than a minute."

The doorbell rang. Bella and Natalie jumped up and ran to the door to answer it. The door swung open, and Bella hugged Ivy excitedly.

Bella turned back to Natalie. "This is my Aunt Ivy." She began introductions. "Aunt Ivy, this is my new best friend, Natalie." The three walked into the dining room. "This is Natalie's dad, Nick."

Nick stood up to shake her hand. "It's wonderful to meet you. Sit down." He pulled a chair out for her.

Ivy sat down. She eyed Carly and Nick before sending a conspiratory wink to Bella. She glanced at the food on the table before serving a plate for herself. "Carly's favorite meal, I'm impressed."

Carly's face turned crimson. "Knock it off, Ivy."

Nick started a casual conversation with Carly's sister, learning more about Carly and her family, including her ex-husband. Ivy's face revealed mixed feelings on that subject. It was obvious that the only animosity in the family was between Carly and Levi. Bella diverted her aunt's attention as she spoke enthusiastically about school and friends.

Carly spoke up. "So, how're things going with Trevor?"

Ivy answered in a monotone voice, devoid of emotion. "We broke up."

Carly gave her a worried glance. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

Ivy rolled her gray eyes and shrugged her shoulders. Her long red hair fell off her shoulders onto her back. "I'm fine. I'm an independent woman like my sister."

Carly continued to give her sister a worried look.

After dinner, Bella scurried with Ivy and Natalie upstairs to Natalie's room with the excuse of getting help on homework. Nick and Carly sat on the couch, each with a glass of wine.

"I like your sister. She's a lot like you."

Carly shook her head and laughed it off. "No way. You heard them. I'm not cool. I'm the boring sister and she's the exciting one."

Nick put his arm around Carly gently. "I remember you in high school. You were full of life. Now, you're just as lively, but in a different way. That sparkle in your eyes is still the same."

She laughed again. A blush filled her cheeks again. "You, my friend, have had too much wine. That's the wine talking. We didn't know each other in high school."

His blue eyes captured her green ones. She saw the intensity in his.

"Even if you didn't know me, I certainly knew you. You ran with the popular crowd. Everyone knew you."

Her soft smile twisted into a frown. "That was because of Levi. I should've known better. I walked away once and put him behind me. If it wasn't for Bella, I never would've taken him back into my life or married him. I like being who I was in high school, not who I pretended to be. Nobody knew me and I never knew who really was my friend."

"But we're all grown up now."

"Yeah, and I like my life now. Levi lives about an hour and a half away. That's made things easier."

"What about Bella? Doesn't she miss her father?"

Carly took Nick's hand. "Let's get some coffee in the kitchen. This requires some privacy." She put a pot of coffee on. "I'm going to tell you something that no one else knows, okay?"


	4. Chapter 3

Meeting You

Chapter 3

September 21, 2012-Brook, Indiana-Evening

He silently nodded, waiting for her to tell him her secret.

"I chose Levi for Bella's daddy."

"Most of us do tend to think that way when a relationship is headed towards marriage and family."

"No, I mean I was on my own with Bella when Levi came along wanting to raise Bella with me. He's not her biological father, but he loves her like his own."

His eyes clouded and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. "What happened to her real father?"

"I don't know. It was a stranger and I don't want to talk about it."

Nick's mouth hung open. His eyes widened in disbelief.

Carly's head went down because she couldn't bear to look at Nick's reaction anymore. "I know how it sounds. My daughter is the greatest gift to come from the whole mess."

"Carly, I'm not judging you. I'm just surprised. I can already tell that you've got all kinds of panicked thoughts running through your mind right now." He put his hand over hers protectively. "It's okay. I understand where you're coming from. It took a lot of guts to share that with me. I'm glad that you did. I'm honored that you did."

"It's not something I'm proud of. Levi always makes me feel so ashamed about it."

Nick's hands clenched into fists for a moment. "He's crazy to do that to you. Everyone has something in their past that they're not particularly proud of. Everyone makes mistakes. Unfortunately, divorce turns people from lovers into enemies. It gets pretty ugly. My ex has spewed her share of poison, so I know what you're talking about."

Carly put her hand on his shoulder. "You're right. I know you are, at least my head does. I keep telling myself that. When he starts in, it's hard to ignore or block out. I go right back to that bad place and it's hard to pull myself out."

"Don't let that jerk get to you. You are a beautiful, smart, funny woman. I could go on and on, if you need me to."

Her gentle laugh rippled through the air. "That's okay. I get the point. I need to listen to my friends more. Thanks. I know where to go now if I need a pick-me-up. Thanks for dinner. It was delicious."

"See, I'm not just a pretty face. I have multiple skills."

She burst out in a fit of giggles again.

"Apparently, being a comedian is one of them."

"I'm sorry. You should've seen your face when you said that. It looked like you thought you were Fabio or something."

"At least, I made you smile. That means I've done my job right."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it. It's been awhile since a guy has made me feel good about myself. I'm so glad that we're friends. I've never really had a guy as a friend before. My experiences with guys have been through dating and none of the guys I dated ever made me feel like this. You make me feel like it's okay to be myself. That's special to me."

He smiled sheepishly at her. "I'm glad, Carly. I'm glad that you feel that way."

"Thanks for dinner, especially for putting up with my sister. She's a handful sometimes. I've got to go. I've got lesson plans to work on. Bella's got to wind down and get ready for bed soon." She stood up to leave.

"Hey, come here. I'm here for you, okay, anytime." Nick opened his arms out. He gathered her into his arms, holding her snugly.

A brief shiver rippled through her. She smelled his scent. It was intoxicating to her senses. She pulled away while she still had the strength to do so. She patted him on the back. "Thanks for being such a great friend. I'm going to get Ivy and Bella out of your hair. 'Night, Nick."

"Goodnight, Carly. I hope you know that not all men are like your ex-husband."

"Yeah, I know. You're one of the good guys." She walked into the living room, calling Ivy and Bella downstairs to leave.

Ivy went to the bathroom while her sister and Nick were talking downstairs. The girls were in Natalie's room with the music on. Ivy heard the conversation below and decided to step up her efforts to match her sister up with Nick. As she was walking out the door, she turned to Nick. "Thanks for being good to her. She hasn't had a lot of that in her life. You're good for her and I approve." She cast him a knowing glance.

Friday couldn't come fast enough for Bella and Natalie. They could hardly contain themselves in school. That got them in trouble in English. Carly sighed. She knew that Bella was excited to see her dad after school. Bella talked about it all week. Carly just needed to get the kids focused. She was surprised that Bella and Natalie were so chipper. They would be separated all weekend.

She had reached the end of her rope when she saw the two girls passing notes instead of listening to her lesson. "Girls, do you have something that you'd like to share with the class?"

They cast their eyes downward. "No, ma'am," they answered in unison.

Carly went into the next part of her lesson, how words are used to affect people. She demonstrated the effects of advertising and propaganda on the average American. That's when Bella got another one of her ideas. Her eyes lit up. Natalie could practically see the light bulb light up above Bella's head. Bella put pen to paper and began jotting her thoughts down.

Bella showed Natalie her notes over lunch. They began a campaign to sell each parent on each other's positive attributes. Eventually, Carly would realize that the girls really were paying attention in class.

Bella and Natalie changed their routine after school. They went to Bella's house first to call Ivy to finalize the evening's plans. Bella broke out into her happy dance. It would be suspicious if they didn't arrive at Natalie's house soon, so Natalie snapped Bella back to focus. Bella's suitcase was packed. A last minute call was placed to Levi. With the checklist complete, the girls headed for the Campbell house next door.

Relief washed over Nick's worried features. "Finally! I was wondering where you two had gone. You know your mother's rule is to arrive here and check in right after school."

"Sorry, Dad. I won't let it happen again," Natalie responded quietly.

"Nat, it's okay. I was talking to Bella. I was worried about both of you. I know that you aren't the kind to get into trouble, but Carly would kill me if I let anything happen to Bella."

Bella giggled. "You addressed us like we were sisters. I'm sorry. I won't let it happen again, but it's seriously cute how you said 'your mother's rule' to both of us."

Nick stammered for a moment. "Girls, I meant... You know what I meant. Bella, I've heard that you've got a dad that loves you very much. He'll be here in less than three hours."

"Yeah, but I'd like to have two."

"What?" Nick's mouth dropped open like it did when Carly revealed her secret.

"My mom is lonely. I'd like her to find someone to love. Then I'll have two dads. Someday my dad will remarry and I'll have two moms. Sure, it's not normal, but it's family that matters in any shape or form they come in. It would be cool if Nat and I were sisters."

Nick choked on the milk that he was drinking. "You crazy kids, you should let the grownups handle things like that. Your mother and I are friends. We've barely known each other a month. Things shouldn't get any more complicated."

"My mom says that it can happen quickly like that." She snapped her fingers for effect. "When you know, you know. The arrow to the heart is sudden. You don't see it coming and you don't plan for it. My mom says that she felt like that the night I was made."

He looked into Bella's lively blue eyes. "Again, I remind you to leave the adult stuff for the grown-ups. Now, what would you like for dinner? I have to serve dinner a little earlier tonight, so you'll be ready when your dad picks you up." He saw the twinkle dim and it pained him to hurt her tender feelings. He brushed the strands of sandy blonde hair out of her eyes. "Look, I really care you and your mom, Bella. Besides Nat, you're my favorite people to be around, okay?"

Bella wrapped her arms around him quickly before stepping back. "Nick, it's okay with me if you ever decide to date my mom."

Ivy arrived for dinner shortly after Carly sat down for dinner with Nick and the girls. It was 5:45, and Levi was due to arrive at 6:00 p.m.

Carly was thrilled when Natalie and Bella described the day's English lesson to Nick. "I didn't even think they were paying attention," she responded in disbelief.

He smiled at her. "I guess that means that you're a great teacher."

Carly blushed at his tone and the way that his eyes continued to hold her gaze. He was staring into her eyes. Her insides felt like jello.

Natalie cut in with more details about her day. Dinner took a lot longer tonight than it usually did with all the conversation going on. Ivy checked her watch. It was six o'clock already. She winked at Bella. Bella rubbed her hands together and smiled.

Carly's cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"I'm here to pick up Bella. Where are you?" the annoyed voice shouted at her.

"We're next door, having dinner. Bella's got her stuff ready to go. Just come by and get her." Carly spoke calmly, squashing down the urge to shout back at him.

The doorbell rang a minute later. Carly answered the door. "Hi, Levi. Bella's right in here. Come on in. She's finishing her meal."

Nick saw a man who stood about six foot tall with light brown hair walk into the dining room.

Bella stood up from the table and ran to Levi. "Daddy! I missed you!"

Levi took his daughter into his arms. "You must have grown a foot since I last saw you, Pumpkin. I missed you, too. Grandma and Grandpa are really excited to see you. So, are you ready to go?"

"Just let her finish her dinner, Levi."

"So, why are you having dinner over here tonight? You knew I'd be at your house at six on the dot, Caroline."

She shivered at his tone. She had to remind herself that she was the primary parent and the one in charge of the situation. _Nothing Levi says can hurt me anymore. _She wanted to answer, but Bella beat her to it.

"Daddy, we always eat here after school."

Levi's face reddened, temper flaring. "You eat here every night?" He turned to Carly. "Who are these people? You're slipping, Caroline."

Carly stood up to defend herself. "Don't walk in here and order me around! You don't get a say in how I live my life.'

"When it affects my daughter, I do."

Her insides boiled at his use of the word, my. _Liar! You know what will happen if we open that door. _"I can't begin to tell you what's wrong with that statement. I'm the primary custodial parent. I make the decisions. You're lucky to have the rights that you have. You really don't want to get into this with me."

"But, come on, you eat here every night. These are strangers."

"No, they're not. Natalie goes to school with Bella. They are best friends. Nick and I are friends. We're doing favors for each other like neighbors do. This is none of your business, but if it will make you feel better, I'll introduce you. Levi, this is my neighbor, Nick Campbell and his daughter, Natalie. Nick, this is my ex-husband, Levi Walker."

Nick stood up as Carly introduced them. The two men did not shake hands or attempt polite pleasantries.

Levi stared him down, but Nick did not back down. "I remember you from high school. You're that geek that I beat up senior year. Don't you know when to quit? Stay away from my family, Campbell, or you'll live to regret it!"

"Levi, you better get out of here before I say something I'll regret," Carly said quickly. She didn't want the two to come to blows.

Ivy touched Carly's arm. She gestured at Bella, who was sobbing. Carly knelt down in front of her daughter. "We got loud again and I'm sorry. Why don't you go home and get your stuff. Aunt Ivy and Natalie can go with you. I want to talk to your daddy alone for a minute."

Bella wiped her tears on her sleeve. "Mama, can Natalie come with me this weekend? That way, she won't be a stranger anymore."

Carly looked over at Nick, who stood silently watching the exchange. Bella's tears left his stomach tied up in knots. He silently nodded his consent to Bella's request. Ivy led Bella and Natalie away from the angry adults and over to the safety and peace of Carly's house.

Meanwhile, Carly was ready to say a few words to her ex-husband about his behavior now that her daughter was out of the room. "Where do you get off coming in here and ordering me around? We're divorced. That means that I do what I want. You don't get a say in my life!" Her nostrils flared and she glared at him.

"That little girl is why I still have a say in your life. We are raising her together. I am her father and that's not gonna change."

"The magic of divorce is why I don't care. She is my daughter. After everything that's happened, you're lucky I still let you have a place in her life."

"Let's talk about why I'm in her life. You chose to share her with me. You married me. We are a family. I am the only father she has ever known."

"Let's look at the facts. You deluded yourself into believing that you were Bella's biological father, despite the fact that I told you the truth. You are her dad, but you are not her father. That fact became painfully honest when our daughter was fighting for her life and we needed a match for her bone marrow transplant. When the truth finally sunk in, you made me out to be a slut for having a child that resulted from a one-night stand."

"That's because you are. I loved you. We could've had everything together. You left me and came back pregnant. I still did the right thing because I still loved you, but you preferred being in a stranger's arms than being with me."

"No, you wanted us to get married. I wasn't ready for that. I wanted to go to college. I wanted an education. I needed time to figure out who I was and what I wanted. You weren't ready for marriage. You still lived like you did in high school, so I got out of here."

"College? That's an excuse for partying and sleeping around like a w-e. You wanted to get away, but you came crawling back fast enough."

The color had drained from Carly's face. Her eyes widened, yet her brows were furrowed. She swallowed hard. Her eyes were filled with tears. "I was pregnant and alone. My parents helped me. That was a blessing because my parents were killed just a couple of years later. I'm glad I got that time to spend with them. After that, I had to take care of two young girls. I had to grow up fast."

"And I was right there with you and Bella every day. We had a good life together. That's why we got married. We were married for eight years." Levi's voice rose with the first sentence, and then dropped into pleading.

"I'll admit that I was happy and comfortable, but you are not the love of my life. The love of my life would never say such things to me. He wouldn't call me a slut or a w-e. He wouldn't accuse me of cheating every time I walked out the front door because when you truly love someone you wouldn't hurt them like that." She looked into his eyes as she spoke. For the first time in the argument, her shoulders were straight, her chin was up, and her body filled with a renewed strength.

"Who was Bella's real father, Caroline? You have to figure it out sometime. The doctors told us to be prepared for a relapse. I don't care what your issues are. We have to find out for Bella's sake. The guy could be a perfect match for her, if she gets sick again. Think about it." He walked to the front door, pausing. "For the record, I really loved you, but it felt like you threw it in my face time after time. I figured that I had to be Bella's real father because there couldn't be any other reason why you would let me back into your life and marry you. After Bella got sick, I felt like I was living on borrowed time. Think about it." After speaking, Levi walked out the door to sit in his pickup truck, waiting on the girls.

Carly sank down into a chair, feeling the stress wash away from her body. Ivy returned with the girls. Natalie ran upstairs to get her weekend bag.

Bella ran over and hugged her mother tightly. "Dad was really mad this time. It's okay, Mom. I'll make sure that he gets to know Natalie." She turned to Nick, touching his arm. "I'm sorry that my dad beat you up before."

Carly felt the tears build up in her eyes, but she would not cry in front of her daughter. "Bella, it is not your job to fix the grown-ups. Don't worry about anything. Just go have a fun weekend with your dad. Tell Grandma and Grandpa that I said hi, okay? Don't keep your dad waiting."

Bella yelled for Natalie to hurry. Natalie ran down the stairs, taking two at a time. The girls quickly hugged Carly and Nick before dashing out the door to Levi's pickup truck.

"Well, that was interesting, but now I've got to get to work. I'll see you later, Sis. By the way, Jennifer should be here any minute now." As Ivy walked out the door, a very tall, thin woman with long blonde hair busted in the door.

"I saw that snake leaving. Are you okay?" she asked.

Carly sighed. "Jen, you just can't bust into other people's houses."

"But I was worried about you." Her eyes narrowed when she saw Nick. "Ooh, who's this?" She eyed the only man in the room like he was a big slice of chocolate cake.

Carly pointed to Nick. "He's the owner of the house that you literally broke into. You've really got to learn to knock. Anyway, let me introduce you. Jen, this is Nick Campbell. He moved here from Missouri with his daughter, Natalie. Natalie is Bella's new best friend. Nick, this is my best friend, Jennifer Grant. We've been best friends since college. She was my roommate at Northwest Indiana State University. She lives in the house across the street from me."

"It's no coincidence. I helped her find her house when she moved here. It's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

Carly covered her face with her hands for a minute. "Jen! I'm so embarrassed."

Nick smiled. "Don't be. It's cute. What does she say about me?"

Carly's face was turning red. Jennifer noticed her best friend's nervousness. "Listen, she's had a bad night. She always does when Levi's around. So, I'm taking her out and I'm not taking no for an answer." She grabbed Carly's hand and pulled her out of the house.

On the way out, Carly turned back to Nick. "Sorry for my drama. Thanks for dinner. I'll see you later."

Nick shouted. "Hey, is dinner tomorrow still on?"


End file.
